Cough syrups containing pholcodine must be banned in the European Union because they can cause a very dangerous allergic reaction to general anesthesia, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) announced on Friday.
This type of syrup, intended to treat dry cough in both children and adults, can be dangerous even if it has been consumed long before anesthesia.
“The use of pholcodine in the previous twelve months can cause, at the time of general anesthesia, an anaphylactic reaction”, a “sudden, serious allergic reaction that can cause death”, EMA specified in a statement announcing its decision, which will be applied after administrative approval.
Already banned in France
These drugs, used since the 1950s, have until recently been sold in Belgium, Croatia, France, Ireland, Lithuania, Luxembourg and Slovenia, notably under the brand names Dimetane, Biocalyptol and Broncalene.
However, the French health authorities communicated in September that the marketing authorization for these syrups had been withdrawn and that those already available in pharmacies or health centers would be withdrawn from circulation.
In April 2020, at the height of the Covid-19 epidemic, of which dry cough was one of the main symptoms, they also recommended against using this type of syrup.
